Many of these moves share names with TMs and HMs. Their types can be abnormal as well, as, just like their names, they access alternate, non-type data. Almost all of the glitch moves have extremely low accuracy, making them difficult to perform. Some are completely ineffective, while some may crash the game. Very few have both relatively high accuracy and an ordinary effect on opposing Pokémon. Some moves even have 0 PP, and require PP Ups to use.

Some Pokémon that evolve when traded can learn glitch moves via the Trade evolution learnset oversight. The Pokémon is traded to Generation II games at the level their evolved form learns a Generation II move, then subsequently being traded back to Generation I, where the new move will become the equivalent glitch move.